Tell me, what hands do the fish use to pick up their “tools”? They were food there sport and while you may be well intentioned, the fact is, death is a part of life and humans are omnivores. That’s right, we eat both plants and animals. You do realize a plant is a living organism too right? It is the behavior of people like you who have created an environment where things like this occur. Today I got a new one to add to the list.

I’m sure that Mr. Kourda weeps for the wild boar, that could have easily killed someone, and I’m sure he wishes that they erect a sign to remember the boar time immemorial. This is what happens when animals stop viewing you as a predator. We, as a species, have progressed to the point where many just go to the store and pick up food. Many, like Mr. Kourda feel that it is no longer necessary to kill animals for food.

Well, here’s a random though, that pile of grain you eat because it’s not from the back of an animal? How many mice were killed to prevent them from eating it so it can be on your table? Say you avoid producers and go “organic” which doesn’t use pesticide or kill the little vermin, the reason for the higher costs, which not everyone can afford, is because the lower crop yield due to the pests.

Tell me, what about mouse infestations in your house? See I live on the edge of town surrounded by farm fields. The little bastards have chewed their way into my crawlspace and now into my house. Would you like to put up memorials for all the mice I’ve had to kill Mr. Kourda? They bring with them disease and damage to property. Hire an exterminator I hear you say?

Well I’ve done exactly that, and they poison the little bastards so that people like you can think that they’ve just ran off to live somewhere else. That way you don’t their handy work, or in this case my handy work.

We have been steadily removing ourselves as being a predator in the pool of animals. Many, like Mr. Kourda would like to forcefully prevent those who still act predatory to stop. The thing is, just because we stop being predatory, doesn’t mean other animals won’t view us as prey.

If you would like to voultarily vacate your position at the top of the food chain, that’s your choice. Me, I’m going to stay right here at the top and keep my family and my self free from disease and vermin while keeping them healthy and well fed.

Barron is the owner, editor, and principal author at The Minuteman, a competitive shooter, and staff member for Boomershoot. Even in his free time he’s merging his love and knowledge of computers and technology with his love of firearms.

He has a BS in electrical engineering from Washington State University. Immediately after college he went into work on embedded software and hardware for use in critical infrastructure. This included cryptographic communications equipment as well as command and control devices that were using that communications equipment. Since then he’s worked on just about everything ranging from toys, phones, other critical infrastructure, and even desktop applications. Doing everything from hardware system design, to software architecture, to actually writing software that makes your athletic band do its thing.

Barron is the owner, editor, and principal author at The Minuteman, a competitive shooter, and staff member for Boomershoot. Even in his free time he’s merging his love and knowledge of computers and technology with his love of firearms.

He has a BS in electrical engineering from Washington State University. Immediately after college he went into work on embedded software and hardware for use in critical infrastructure. This included cryptographic communications equipment as well as command and control devices that were using that communications equipment. Since then he’s worked on just about everything ranging from toys, phones, other critical infrastructure, and even desktop applications. Doing everything from hardware system design, to software architecture, to actually writing software that makes your athletic band do its thing.

Those who know me know I hate varmints and vermin with a passion. We had a small problem last year but we quickly got it taken care of and didn’t have any further issues. Well this year they have returned, with a vengeance.

Our cats clued us in to their return as they started staring at the access panel to the Jacuzzi tub again. We opened it up and there was evidence galore they had recently come back. Down went the kill traps and the wait began.

Yesterday morning I woke up to this:

The other trap had been set off but evidently they got lucky and didn’t take a metal bar to the face. I reset the traps and away we went. The wife got home and informed me of the following:

That’s right, two more of the little buggers took metal bars to their necks. I reset the traps and not even 3 hours later I’m informed by the wife, they’re full again.

Now I’m saying, holy [email protected]#$ Huston we have a problem. I clean it all up. Reset the traps and add in two more. I wake up this morning to find the sneakiest bastard of the bunch:

The little bastard tripped three out of the 4 traps and some how didn’t get snapped… Well the 4th trap broke his neck and ripped open his nose.

Earlier in August the wife and I signed up for pest control which thus far had worked well. Took out a couple of larger wasp nests that were forming in areas that were difficult for me to get to. We’ve seen fewer creepy crawlies overall. At that point we hadn’t seen much in the way of mice signs so they didn’t do much at that time.

As an FYI, just about everyone has mice problems this time of year in the area, even brand new construction. It’s the down side of basically living surrounded by wheat fields. I would poison them, but the last thing I want is for them to die in the crawlspace. The house would stink to high heaven and then finding the little buggers would be an interesting venture all of it’s own.

Barron is the owner, editor, and principal author at The Minuteman, a competitive shooter, and staff member for Boomershoot. Even in his free time he’s merging his love and knowledge of computers and technology with his love of firearms.

He has a BS in electrical engineering from Washington State University. Immediately after college he went into work on embedded software and hardware for use in critical infrastructure. This included cryptographic communications equipment as well as command and control devices that were using that communications equipment. Since then he’s worked on just about everything ranging from toys, phones, other critical infrastructure, and even desktop applications. Doing everything from hardware system design, to software architecture, to actually writing software that makes your athletic band do its thing.

When you are in the wilderness you are not in a Disney movie. The animals do not think of you as their friend. You are either food, a threat, or something to be watched. So with those things in mind, if traveling in the wilderness you need to be ready to deal with animals that may find you a nice dinner.

Barron is the owner, editor, and principal author at The Minuteman, a competitive shooter, and staff member for Boomershoot. Even in his free time he’s merging his love and knowledge of computers and technology with his love of firearms.

He has a BS in electrical engineering from Washington State University. Immediately after college he went into work on embedded software and hardware for use in critical infrastructure. This included cryptographic communications equipment as well as command and control devices that were using that communications equipment. Since then he’s worked on just about everything ranging from toys, phones, other critical infrastructure, and even desktop applications. Doing everything from hardware system design, to software architecture, to actually writing software that makes your athletic band do its thing.

So if you still think that wild animals, no matter their size, don’t present a threat or danger to humans, remember that’s your choice and opinion. Facts state that humans are not on the top of the food chain by PFM. They are there because of their tools and without them they are nothing but walking meat popsicle. If you choose to go into the wild unarmed, or even around suburbia, that is your choice and you can live with the consequences of your choice. You have no right to force your moral choices though on anyone else.

Barron is the owner, editor, and principal author at The Minuteman, a competitive shooter, and staff member for Boomershoot. Even in his free time he’s merging his love and knowledge of computers and technology with his love of firearms.

He has a BS in electrical engineering from Washington State University. Immediately after college he went into work on embedded software and hardware for use in critical infrastructure. This included cryptographic communications equipment as well as command and control devices that were using that communications equipment. Since then he’s worked on just about everything ranging from toys, phones, other critical infrastructure, and even desktop applications. Doing everything from hardware system design, to software architecture, to actually writing software that makes your athletic band do its thing.

So Tuesday I mentioned an incident where some enterprising individual thought he would stand his ground with a bison and lost. I stated the following:

When armed however we are far superior to those other predators. It’s tools that make the difference and for that reason your position on the top of the food chain is considered negotiable to mother nature.

The situation actually is bad enough that parents are fearing for their children and keeping them inside. If you’re that fearful, why don’t you deal with the problem permanently. Relocating the animals is only temporary. Even then the animals no longer fear humans. They have no reason to.

The animals are acting aggressively towards humans because they do not appear to be a threat, and actually appear to be walking 180lbs meat popsicles with much smaller juicier varieties that haven’t aged as much. When their buddies bob and frank don’t eat dirt after being around humans they don’t associate humans as being dangerous.

For a long time wild animals avoid humans because by god if we saw them, we killed them. Animals learned, and rightfully so, who the top predator was. We have shoved our predatory status to the side though, and now many are acting surprised that wild life are learning there is no longer a need to fear humans.

Why should Wiley E. Coyote fear humans when a bunch of hippies have run to the state whining about how animals should be protected. How humans shouldn’t be allowed to hunt them. How the animals just want to live in peace and are not a threat to humans.

Yeah listen up there sparky and shut your patchouli eating ass up for a second and listen to me. Any wild animal if given the chance would kill you, doubly so if it is any type of predator. It is our tools and our history that causes animals to give us wide berth. You’re meddling with the system has lowered our status on the totem pole and has opened up innocent people to animal attack. Not only attack though but disease and pestilence carried by the animals is now left to spread unchecked.

Don’t come crying to me as this gets worse, and it will. Mice are already problems in DC, and what’s that, you can’t kill the mice? Mice that can carry bubonic plague and other diseases.

Do I like animals? Yes.

Do I kill animals for the “thrill of the kill”? No.

I kill them for many reasons ranging from food, to pest control, to effective conservation. Conservation? I hear you ask. Yes conservation since over population actually weakens a herd as a whole limiting available resources limiting the overall health of the animals.

Barron is the owner, editor, and principal author at The Minuteman, a competitive shooter, and staff member for Boomershoot. Even in his free time he’s merging his love and knowledge of computers and technology with his love of firearms.

He has a BS in electrical engineering from Washington State University. Immediately after college he went into work on embedded software and hardware for use in critical infrastructure. This included cryptographic communications equipment as well as command and control devices that were using that communications equipment. Since then he’s worked on just about everything ranging from toys, phones, other critical infrastructure, and even desktop applications. Doing everything from hardware system design, to software architecture, to actually writing software that makes your athletic band do its thing.

So the man didn’t taunt the animal which is a plus, but he let the bull approach and then refused to move away. Eventually the Bison got tired of said moron being in his territory. Being a larger animal than this puny human, unsurprisingly the Bison won.

For those who think somehow being on the “top” of the food chain makes you magically superior, let me enlighten you. We are not on top because of some pure fanciful magic*. Humans are on top because we figured out how to make tools. We figured out how to manipulate the environment to our advantage. It was our intellect that placed us at the top of the food chain.

Given that it was our intellect, not our brute strength, you better bring a tool with you if you decide that you’re going to challenge another creäture within the chain. Without the tools we are but a walking bipedal warm Popsicle for things that have claws and brute strength. Most predators could kill us without as much of a batting of the eyes if we are unarmed. When armed however we are far superior to those other predators. It’s tools that make the difference and for that reason your position on the top of the food chain is considered negotiable to mother nature.

This man is very lucky, he decided that he was going to try to stare down an animal larger than himself. Why he chose to do that we may never know. It was obviously a very poor idea, doubly so since he didn’t bring any tools for the fight. What the hell did he think was going to happen? The Bison would just shrug it off, seriously what the hell is up with you city slicker folks? This is almost as bad as the woman who tried to pet the moose.

*The F in PFM doesn’t actually stand for fanciful, but I’m sure you can figure it out.

Barron is the owner, editor, and principal author at The Minuteman, a competitive shooter, and staff member for Boomershoot. Even in his free time he’s merging his love and knowledge of computers and technology with his love of firearms.

He has a BS in electrical engineering from Washington State University. Immediately after college he went into work on embedded software and hardware for use in critical infrastructure. This included cryptographic communications equipment as well as command and control devices that were using that communications equipment. Since then he’s worked on just about everything ranging from toys, phones, other critical infrastructure, and even desktop applications. Doing everything from hardware system design, to software architecture, to actually writing software that makes your athletic band do its thing.

Certainly not ideal for a bear but I would take that over a sharp stick without a doubt. Evidently within the area this is the third attack within a month.

This should serve as a strong reminder that we enjoy our place at the top of the food chain not because of strength or agility, but because of our tools. Firearms are a tool that levels the playing field quite well, especially with regards to an animal that can quite easily kill you without trying.

Also, remember while in bear country use bear boxes or bear bags and remove all foods and things could attract bears. Also a suggestion, when in bear country where bears might be more prevalent due to wild-fire, don’t use the garbage cans in an actual campsite. Yogi is more than happy to knock them over to get at the soda bottle tossed inside. Even if it’s relatively close to your tents. I speak from experience on that later incident… Thankfully it was just a yearling and a solid “Ya bear Ya. We don’t want you here” scared him off and we didn’t see him again.

Be careful out there and the life you save could just very well be your own, so carry your damn guns!

Barron is the owner, editor, and principal author at The Minuteman, a competitive shooter, and staff member for Boomershoot. Even in his free time he’s merging his love and knowledge of computers and technology with his love of firearms.

He has a BS in electrical engineering from Washington State University. Immediately after college he went into work on embedded software and hardware for use in critical infrastructure. This included cryptographic communications equipment as well as command and control devices that were using that communications equipment. Since then he’s worked on just about everything ranging from toys, phones, other critical infrastructure, and even desktop applications. Doing everything from hardware system design, to software architecture, to actually writing software that makes your athletic band do its thing.

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